'learner centeredness' vs 'learner engagement'

How would you compare the two concepts of 'learner centeredness' and 'learner engagement'?

Learner Centreredness

McCombs and Vakili (2005)

Learner Engagement
Gibbs and Poskitt (2010)

Literature Review on the Learner Engagement in middle school years.

Engagement is a multi-faceted construct that encompasses students’ sense of belonging and connectedness to their school, teachers and peers; their sense of agency, self efficacy and orientation to achieve within their classrooms and in their broader extra-curricular endeavours; their involvement, effort, levels of concentration and interest in subjects and learning in general; and the extent to which learning is enjoyed for its own sake, or seen as something that must be endured to receive a reward or avoid sanction. Further, engagement is a variable state of being that is influenced by a range of internal and external factors including the perceived value or relevance of the learning and the presence of opportunities for students to experience appropriately-pitched challenge and success in their learning. As such engagement is malleable by the actions of teachers.

Reflections

The learner engagement article reminds me of the Te Whaariki document. BWECC: Belonging, wellbeing, exploration, communication, contribution. Playcentre has a lot to answer for! These principles are fundamental. Remembering that all learners are motivated, establishing what they are motivated to achieve is always the question. At times, I think that conflict between what the student wants to achieve and the teacher wants the student to achieve are at differing viewpoints. It is this, that causes the discrepancy within the educational field.


"Academic self-regulated learning is strongly linked to personal agency, to goal setting and to self-efficacy. Similarly, the disposition to be a learner is linked to feelings of self-efficacy and interest".

Therefore, it is up to the teacher to establish 'buy in' into an aspect that is beyond the egocentric view of the student. Whilst taking into consideration of the 'age in stage' of the student (psychological, physical, and social - Nigel Latta explains this well). Which in turn links straight back to the Te Whaariki achievement objectives: students must feel that they Belong before their Wellbeing is enhanced. One their Wellbeing is enhanced they will begin to Explore. Through Exploring, they will begin to Communicate, which in turn will lead to them Contributing.


At the moment, I question the change from Te Whaariki to the New Zealand Curriculum (2007) document. This is because the Te Whaariki document focuses on the holistic learner and although this is reflected in the Key Competencies, the reporting to the ministry and parents is based on segregated subjects. This in itself is interesting because once again I am placed in a position of confusion like I was just over 10 years ago.

Pratt (1998) Reading: Alternative frames for understanding

Views on Teaching

Pratt, D., & Associates. (1998). Alternative frames of understanding. In Five Perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education (pp. 33-53). Malabar, FL: Kreiger.

"That is, we can learn about a different perspective, as opposed to committing to a different perspective"

Interesting, something that I have always thought about. Like the "agree to disagree"

"Most people find ways to confirm what they already believe rather than change the more central beliefs about teaching"

Watch that happen a lot.  Have also caught myself doing that at times (and possibly do it more without realising).  Perspectives are an interesting concept.  There are always ways to improve but one has to be open to it.

Five perspectives on teaching

1. Transmission Perspective
2. Apprenticeship Perspective
3. Developmental Perspective
4. Nurturing Perspective
5. Social Reform Perspective

I know my teaching has been effective when:

1. My students are excited about coming to class
2. My students are learning new things
3. My students are making progress in their learning
4. My students are able to take what they have learned and apply it to new contexts
5. My students attend to their learning tasks
6. My students confidence in their abilities grows
7. There are limited behavioural issues to attend to (because the learning is the focus)
8. My students are happy to discuss their learning outside of class
9. My students "teach" others
10. ??????

Transmission Perspective: Delivering Content

The primary focus is on the efficient and accurate delivery of that body of knowledge to the learners. "Jug and Mug theory" teacher-centred

It is not ineffective when applied correctly

Apprenticeship Perspective: Modeling ways of Being

Teaching is the process of enculturating learners into a specific community.

Like normal apprenticeships! learner-centred. The teacher and content are fused as one, signifying the inseparability of the teacher and content, withing the context. 

Developmental Perspective: Cultivating ways of Thinking

Learning view derived from cognitive psychology. making connections with prior learning and altering the schema to adjust to new experiences through cognitive thought. Construct and reconstruct knowledge, skills and understandings. Thinking and problem solving.  Teacher role is to help learners think like experts.

Nurturing Perspective: Facilitating Personal Agency

Belief that learning is most affected by a learner's self-concept and self-efficiency. Empathising with students while providing support and encouragement as they attempt to learn.  The goal is to help people become more confident and self-sufficient. Belief that learners must not only be successful, but they must attribute their success to their effort and ability.

Social Reform

From a social reform point of view, learning is about the collective rather than the individual. It involves challenging the values and ideologies embedded into classroom practices and contexts. Students are encouraged to take a critical stance and take social action to not only improve their own lives but those of others.

Where do I fit?


According to the TPI I am strong in the developing and nurturing aspects and if you asked a few colleagues of mine they would tend to agree.  What this also identifies is my weakness in developing social reform.  I do tend to agree with this analysis.  It shows me areas that I need to work on.